To yellow 14: We shall see…
To Cesar848: Long indeed.
To Lyger 0: It would… suck… for him to lose!
Juleka picked idly at her grilled beef, cutting off small pieces and slipping them to Roaar, stifling a yawn. It was only seven in the evening here, but it felt like it was closer to midnight. Probably because it was closer to midnight in Paris… and she'd been awake since before six Paris time. Next to her, Rose had put down her fork and pushed away her half-eaten salad, allowing Daizzi to graze on whatever she wanted from her plate. Rose's head slumped onto Juleka's shoulder, and she wrapped an arm around her, eliciting a contented hum from Rose. Across the table from them, Kagami was leaning into Luka's side, her eyes half-closed from exhaustion. Only Mira still appeared fully alert and aware of everything around them, her eyes drifting around the room to take in all the entrances, cataloging the faces of the other patrons. Juleka let out a humorless snort. They had been so excited about the opportunity to travel for the Heroes of Paris, to go on an adventure on the other side of the world. But this was their first evening on a different continent, and they just couldn't seem to enjoy it.
This sudden change of time zones was going to take some getting used to.
"So, Os Guardas…" Kagami prompted, giving Paola an evaluating look. "Mão Curadora seems nice enough."
Paola nodded. "Certainly eager to help out," she agreed. "I think she's a nurse or something in her civilian life – she has an impressive understanding of medicine and anatomy. And she has a good bedside manner."
"Where does her healing ability come from?" asked Rose. "It's not a miraculous, is it?"
"No, not a miraculous." Paola shook her head. "That would have been an interesting surprise! But no, as best I can tell, her power is just something… innate."
Mira hummed pensively. "I was watching her today, and from what I saw, it might be similar to my magic," she mused slowly. "I don't think it's quite on the same level, though. I didn't realize magie arcane could be practiced without the miraculous." She turned to Paxx with a frown.
Paxx looked up from her Brigadeiro and shrugged. "Not too many can," she answered. "It's not something that can be learned; you either have the disposition or you don't. My miraculous will grant that predisposition, but other people can have it." She frowned. "I don't remember the last time one of my holders met someone with that gift. I think it was one of my Atlantean holders."
Paola chuckled. "Since she can help out with all the illnesses and injuries we've been seeing, that's all right with me!" She shook her head. "At least she's a little more interested in cooperating with us than her partner, O Brasileiro. He seems to think he should be in charge, just because he's Brazilian."
Luka frowned. "Is that such a bad thing?"
"Doesn't he know the area?" added Juleka.
Paola gave them a deadpan look. "The way he talks, he's from São Paolo. I grew up here in Rio. I know this city pretty well. There's a reason Julia put me in charge of this expedition instead of Dan or Maria."
Juleka grinned. "Fair."
"Does he know you're Brazilian, too?" wondered Rose.
"He should by now…" Paola rubbed her forehead. "These new heroes popping up all over the place are giving me a headache," she complained. "Don't get me wrong: I do appreciate the help. O Brasileiro has a couple of connections in the Rio Police that have proven helpful in getting things organized between us and them, and I'm glad Mão Curadora is here to help with the medical tent. But I sometimes miss the days when we didn't have to worry about anyone but our own team. It was so much simpler back then."
Kagami quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "We could leave, you know."
Mira frowned. "Just give me the Bat, and I'm gone."
"Back to Paris, I hope?" asked Rose.
Mira glanced down at Paxx, who stared back wide-eyed. "Yeah."
Paola groaned. "I hope you know I don't mean your team," she retorted. "Your team is alright. You I know. You I understand. But all of these new hero groups? I don't exactly know them yet. And there are more all the time it seems! How do your people do it?"
Juleka shrugged.
Rose stifled a giggle. "I think that's why Chloe's caffeine intake has increased this year!"
"I would believe it," grumbled Paola, shaking her head.
"As far as I can tell, Chloe and Marinette and the others just leave them to their own devices until they need help," Mira told her. "Or at least Adrien and Marinette don't really seem to bother themselves with checking up on them on a regular basis. Chloe or Max might have a better answer for you."
"There are a lot of them to keep track of now." Paola cocked her head. "Speaking of, do you know anything about Los Héroes de Panamá – the 'Heroes of Panama'?"
Juleka shook her head and glanced around the table at the others to find similar expressions on their faces. "No…" she replied slowly. "I don't think so?"
"Maria went home last week to visit her sister and nieces, and there was a poster at the airport with four people calling themselves 'Los Héroes de Panamá'. There was a website, and Maria sent it to me. They didn't exactly say they were affiliated with your bunch, but they didn't exactly say they were not. Julia was confused by it and meant to ask Chloe or Marinette, but I don't think she ever did."
Luka frowned. "They never said anything to me," he began, "but I don't know that they would. But if they had known about these Panama heroes, I'm sure that they would have told you guys about them."
"That's what we assumed," Paola assured him with a nod, letting out a relieved breath. "But we didn't want to approach them or anything without checking with you first. I'll let Julia know – she and Pablo were planning to send Maria back to check on them once they knew for certain." She shook her head. "After so long being on our own, it is strange to have other allies – and in our own hemisphere."
"But what about the United Heroez?" asked Rose, eyes widening in surprise.
"What, the estadounidenses?" Paola scoffed. "Good luck cracking that nut. The way they act, they just think they're God's gift to the world. They're happy to come down here, but they have no interest in cooperation. That's why we keep to ourselves as long as they don't try interfering with us. On occasion one of their super-villains will flee down here and Majestia or Victory will come to collect them, but that's as much interaction as we really care to have with them. Even going to Colorado with Ladybug and Cat Noir was a bit of a risk last year – and that was on miraculous business. And now we have two other groups of American heroes to manage and coordinate with…" Juleka covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. Paola slapped her forehead. "I'm sorry; I forgot about the time change. I'm sure you five just want to go to sleep."
"Well, it is after midnight back home," Luka agreed, glancing down at his watch. Kagami blinked, trying to stay awake.
"Let me take care of the bill and I'll drop you at the hotel," Paola promised, pulling out her wallet.
Thirty minutes later, Juleka followed the others into the hotel suite that Max had booked for them next to the American team. Looking around, she found herself in a decent-sized sitting room with a foldout couch and kitchenette. Two doors led off the sitting room to bedrooms – one with a king-sized bed and the other with two queen-sized beds - and the third opened on a sizeable bathroom. All five Kwamis appeared from hiding the moment the door was shut, with Roaar and Daizzi going straight for the complementary snacks on the breakfast counter.
"Who's sleeping where?" asked Juleka, wrapping her arms around Rose and adjusting her grip on their duffel.
"Well, we'll take this room," Kagami announced, dragging Luka into the bedroom with the king-sized bed. He grinned sheepishly before shutting the door behind them.
Rose furrowed her brows in thought. "We could all share the other bedroom," she suggested. "Jules and I will share one."
Mira arched an eyebrow dubiously. "We don't have to… There's a couch out here."
Rose nodded, beaming. "That's true! So, are you okay with the couch, babe?" she asked Juleka, squeezing her waist.
Juleka shrugged and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Either way is fine with me."
Mira shook her head, smiling fondly at them. "No, the two of you can have the bedroom; I'll take the couch." Paxx flitted out of the bathroom and found a spot on the end table next to the couch, curling up and falling right asleep.
"Well if you're sure…" Rose responded, pursing her lips in concern. "I mean, you need a good sleep more than anyone – when we do find Night Bat, you'll be more of a target than us."
Mira waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm sure; I've slept on far worse – there was one time in Africa that Mama and I spent a night in a camel pen!"
"Okay…"
Juleka squeezed Rose's shoulder and steered her to the other bedroom. Plopping the duffel on one of the two beds, Juleka pulled out her toiletries and went to the bathroom while Rose started to change into her sleeping clothes. Once they were both ready, Rose let out a heavy sigh, flopping down on the bed and pushing the comforter off. Juleka lay down next to her and hummed in a question, rubbing her back. "What's wrong, babe?"
Rose shrugged, resting her head on Juleka's shoulder. "I'm just… I've been thinking about what you said about Christmas and Tyran-X. And you're right. I've had my miraculous for a year now, and the biggest thing I've done is to create a super-villain."
"What? No!" Juleka shook her head adamantly. "You didn't create Tyran-X; Night Bat did that – Night Bat and Lynchpin. They're the ones who manipulated his grief so he became a villain."
"And I know that," Rose insisted, clenching the front of Juleka's shirt in her fists, nuzzling her forehead against her chest. Juleka hugged her tightly, running her fingers through Rose's hair. She let out a breath, relaxing into Juleka's embrace. "But still… I feel responsible – regardless of who decided to use flamethrowers that night, his wife died because of me. I just – I don't know if I can face him again."
Daizzi drifted down to sit on the pillow above Rose's head. "If you don't think you can do it, then the best thing you can do is to stay away from him," she advised.
"The Pig's right," Roaar agreed, patting Rose's shoulder. "Let us take care of him for you! Right, Kitten?"
Juleka nodded fervently, hugging Rose tighter. "Absolutely. I love how much empathy you have," she told her, kissing her forehead. "It's one of the things I love the most about you. But I just – I can't see you get hurt again. Especially not by him, and not because you think you deserve it."
Rose pulled away and braced herself on her elbow, staring at Juleka with her lips pursed. "Is that why you didn't tell me about Christmas?"
Juleka's shoulders slumped. "Yes," she admitted. "I'm sorry we didn't say anything. I was worried you might not be able to face him – or that he would try to hurt you."
"You're not exactly wrong," Rose muttered, looking away.
Daizzi rubbed her shoulder, worried. "Rosie…"
"I just–"
"You don't have to," Juleka interrupted, squeezing her tightly. "That's why you have me." Rose melted into her embrace, sighing contentedly.
"That's why you have us," interjected Roaar, turning off the light and curling up on the pillow above them.